Category Archives: Holidays and Events
New York’s Village Halloween Parade Voted Best Event in the World
The Village Halloween Parade began in 1973 when a local mask maker organized a neighborhood walk for his children and their friends. After the second year, Theater for the New City stepped in and began producing the event on a larger scale as part of their City in the Streets program. After the third year, the Parade became its own not-for-profit organization and discontinued its association with Theater for the New City.
Today, the Village Halloween Parade is the largest celebration of its kind in the world and has been picked by Festivals International as “The Best Event in the World” for October 31.
The 2011 Village Halloween Parade theme was – The i of the Beholder. Inspired by Odilon Redon’s iconic Eye Balloon, encourages us to stare back at the all-seeing, disembodied eye in the sky.
The brilliant artists and puppeteers Superior Concept Monsters lead a cloud of floating eyes up Sixth Avenue. Parade watchers became the watched — and everyone was invited to join.
The Parade draws more than 50,000 costumed participants and approximately 2 million spectators each year.
THANKS to photographer Andy Dickinson
———————————
@ KITANOPICTURES
www.kitanopictures.com
WHAT ANDY ATE BLOG
http://whatandyate.tumblr.com
BestGayNewYork.com
Cyndi Lauper and Friends Benefit Concert for Homeless LGBT Youth Dec. 4th
A CONCERT TO BENEFIT HOMELESS LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER YOUTH
DECEMBER 4th, 2011 at NEW YORK CITY’S BEACON THEATRE
Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund, the organization behind the Give a Damn Campaign, today announced a star-studded benefit concert on December 4th at New York City’s historic Beacon Theatre to help raise awareness about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth homelessness.
“Home For the Holidays,” presented by Deutsche Bank, will feature a night of music from Cyndi as well as special appearances by Norah Jones, Amy Lee, Lou Reed, Cassandra Wilson, Rosie O’Donnell, Wanda Sykes, Carson Kressley, Jon Secada, Chely Wright, Skylar Grey, Vanessa Carlton, Angelique Kidjo, Harvey Fierstein, Deluka, Debbie Harry, Alan Cumming and Clay Aiken.
Cyndi Lauper and the True Colors Fund are excited to extend a special pre-sale to Give a Damn Campaign members before tickets go on sale to the general public.
The pre-sale runs from 10 am EST tomorrow, Thursday, October 27th until tomorrow night at 10 pm EST.
The password you will need to make your purchase is DAMN.
“When I first learned that up to 40 percent of all homeless youth in this country identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender I was shocked and saddened,” says Cyndi Lauper, co-founder of the True Colors Fund and Give a Damn Campaign. “For far too long homeless youth have not received the attention, resources and funding necessary to bring an end to this epidemic. My hope is that through this inspiring evening of music and comedy we can raise awareness and much needed funds to help these young people.”
Cyndi was inspired to help after meeting an extraordinary group of young homeless gay and transgender people several years ago. Already a longtime advocate for the LGBT community and equality, she co-founded the True Colors Fund in 2008 as a major step in this effort. Then, created the Give a Damn Campaign to raise awareness, especially among straight people, about the many issues, particularly youth homelessness, impacting the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.
100% of the net proceeds from “Home for the Holidays” will benefit the True Colors Fund so that Cyndi, the True Colors Fund and the Give a Damn Campaign can continue to further its work to help homeless LGBT youth.
GET TICKETS!!
Gay Pride Weekend Concert with Amanda Lepore, Cazwell, hostess Joey Arias and MORE
GAY PRIDE WEEKEND
WITH AMANDA LEPORE!
Saturday June 25th
Amanda Lepore’s LIVE show at NYC’s Highline Ballroom debuting her album “I…Amanda Lepore” with Cazwell, The Ones, Roxy Cottontail, Cherie Lily, Miss Lawrence (of Real Housewives of Atlanta) and more very special guests to be announced!!!
Hosted by JOEY ARIAS!
Limted $15 tix (only until May 20)
Get yours before the prices go up!!! Password: MARILYN
These are only $15 tix and are limited so please dont pass this code around. This is going to be such a kickass Gay Pride Weekend event – we’ll be releasing more artists in the coming weeks!
Click HERE for $15 tix with the code “Marilyn”
Thanks to Daniel Nardicio !
BestGayNewYork.com
Holidays and Dogs from Best Friends.org
Frazzled from shopping yet? Tired of the crowds?
This will put a smile on your face!
Watch these adorable dogs decorate cookies and get ready to celebrate the holidays in style. They’re not only spreading good cheer, they have an important message to share— Make a holiday wish come true for a homeless dog or cat…ADOPT!
Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit organization building no-kill programs and partnerships that will bring about a day when there are No More Homeless Pets®. At the core of Best Friends’ work is the dream that one day kindness will replace cruelty, and animals will no longer be destroyed because they are unwanted or imperfect. Spaying and neutering will be the rule for all pets and adoption will be the first option for everyone. Making this dream a reality is the mission we call No More Homeless Pets. The society’s leading initiatives in animal care and community programs are coordinated from its Kanab, Utah, headquarters, the country’s largest no-kill sanctuary. This work is made possible by the personal and financial support of a grassroots network of supporters and community partners across the nation. For more information visit: http://www.bestfriends.org/
WATCH THE VIDEO NOW !
(there are lots of fun videos on their site – sure to make you smile!)
Amazing Photograph of New York City Thanksgiving Day Parade!
It’s a bit chilly – but hey, the Parade is a tradition!
Crowded streets, filled with obnoxious straight tourists with no manners…
The best seat in the house!
ABOVE THE CLOUDS!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
BEST GAY NEW YORK .com
Macys Amazing Fourth of July Fireworks
W O W !
That had to be the MOST AMAZING FIREWORKS display I have ever seen!
Budget cuts have forced some communities around the country to pull the plug on the pyrotechnics, but the gigantic Macy’s fireworks show continued on Manhattan’s West Side, where it moved in 2009 after eight years on the East River. And that move has brought with it a change in fortune for businesses, too.
In the city that’s home to the $1,000 umbrella and the $175 cheeseburger, tickets have been sold at $1,450 a pair for one sweet spot to see the fireworks that are free for anyone standing on a nearby street corner or at a window.
Hudson Terrace, a rooftop bar near the river, sold 250 tickets to watch the fireworks at prices from $150 to $1,450 a couple.
It is estimated 4,000,000-5,000,000 watched the display live in NYC!
The fireworks show will relocate to the Statue of Liberty next year in honor of Lady Liberty’s 125th anniversary and will move around after that.
I have read that they used 36,000 shells (what most of us call fireworks) and was the largest display in America, exploding 1000 fireworks per minute. I have also read estimates the display could have cost $500,000.
Other estimates I read ran $5 – 7 MILLION.
I don’t know. Anyone know ??
Peter Rauhofer – Next WORK Event is FREE! in New York City
announced via his facebook this week that the his next work party would be the last one in NYC for the year.
Peter’s making it a gift to party goers who have supported the WORK! party after all this time by giving them a comped door all night! Calling the party “WORK! For Free” he says:
“…THANK YOU to everyone who came, contributed, participated, promoted and supported our parties from Spirit to Stereo to Highline Ballroom to Santos to Roseland….YOU were the ones who made it successful and WORK!. Not only in New York but also around the world in cities like Sao Paulo, Barcelona, Montreal & Paris. WORK! & Peter Rauhofer want to say a last THANK YOU in New York for 2009 with an all night FREE party!…..but we have more, get ready what we already have prepared for 2010 in New York!”
WORK! for free will take place
November 21st @ Santos Party House
in NYC.
The Opening set is by DJ Joe Hickerson and
then Peter will play until 6 am.
Santos Party House is located at
96 Lafayette Street
(one block below Canal).
The Best of Gay New York
THE SNOW BALL – Atlantic City Goes GAY Again November 27th
Now The Snow Ball hits Atlantic City!
Friday, November 27th:
Daniel Nardicio, Matt Camp, Go Go Harder, Bianca Del Rio (as Snow Queen!), Wendy Ho, Robbyne Kaamil, and 3 luscious wintery fur clad go go studs take over Atlantic City’s Club Worship in Caesars Casino on the Boardwalk for Black Friday.
Real snow storm at 1am!
With a show by Wendy Ho at 12:30am (featuring new material!), 2am Boylesque show by Matt and Harder, and all to the music of DJ Aaron Elvis!
Plus you can gamble all night long in the casino!
With Aces Train specials direct to AC for only $39- and special room rates for HARRAHS / DN partiers go to danielnardicio.com for details and hotel links!
(photos by Wilson Models)
The Best of Gay New York
(and New Jersey!)
MADONNA’S CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION – 6-City Tour Launches December 6 in New York City
We’re talking about THE MADONNA –
As in the VIRGIN MARY!
Over 2000 years ago in the little hillside town of Bethlehem a
miraculous birth occurred. You might think you know the real story,
but you don’t. Jesus’ mother sets the record straight with MADONNA’S CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION, a musical retelling of the birth and life of the young Jesus Christ.
This inspiring holiday show features original
music, plus so-wrong-it’s-right parodies of holiday favorites and Top 40 hits by the likes of The Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Lady GaGa, Katy Perry, Rihanna and the more-famous Madonna.
“You could go to Irving Berlin’s White Christmas or the Radio City
Christmas Spectacular, but then how could you look at yourself in the mirror the next morning? Instead, try the holiday show that dares to dress our Holy Mother in drag.” – New York Observer.
Move over Britney Spears! The Madonna — as in the Virgin Mary (or
Lady MaMa, in some circles) — announces her first U.S. holiday tour in over 2000 years.
Kicking off in New York City on December 6th at
The Laurie Beechman Theater, MADONNA’S CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION tour will
be performed in 6 cities stretching from Maine to California. Tickets, show times and venue information is available at 212-352-3101 or Virgin Mary Live.
MADONNA’S CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION is conceived and delivered by drag
writer/performer Mimi Imfurst and composer/lyricist/arranger Mike
Pettry (winner of the 2007 Jonathan Larson and Fredrick Loewe Awards).
It features costumes by Norrell Gardner
(Project Runway, Gossip Girl),
puppets by Mark Salinas and props by Jeb Knight.
The show is the 4th annual installment of Mimi Imfurst’s Virgin Mary series, which offers insight into the psyche of the teen mother and the choices Mary had to make as a 13 year-old bride.
It has been hailed by the Catholic Advocacy Coalition as “worse than the sin of abortion” and “despicable, blasphemous and abominable trash” by DailyCatholic.org (who never saw the show).
Described by Back Stage as
“somewhere between a plump Ricki Lake and a bawdy Bette Midler,” Mimi Imfurst has quickly established herself as one of NYC’s most outrageous, controversial, and hysterical nightlife personalities.
The inaugural production of Mary, Like A Virgin earned
Mimi Imfurst a prominent spot on the
Catholic League’s 2006 Report on Anti Catholicism and a
#2 spot on the Catholic Advocacy Coalition’s Top 10 Most Anti-Catholic People of the Year, following Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) in the #1 spot and beating out President George W. Bush at #3.
NOT TO BE MISSED!
Mimi Imfurst on Facebook
Mimi Imfurst on YouTube
Mimi on Mimi
The Best of Gay New York
WORK! HALLOWEEN 2009 : Blood on the Dancefloor @ Roseland Ballroom
Friday, October 30, 2009 at 10 pm – Saturday 7:00am
Rauhofer’s infamous “Work” parties have grown significantly over the past several years making its way around the globe with grand-scale events everywhere from Rio to Paris to Miami.
Halloween in NYC will be no exception!
Advanced tickets $65 –
Get Them Online!
The Best of Gay New York
Halloween in Atlantic City! With Rams Head Inn and South Jersey AIDS Alliance
Want to do something different this Halloween and get out of the city?
The Rams Head Inn in Galloway (Atlantic City) is dropping the Disco Ball and inviting you to dress up and come out and join them on Saturday, October 31 for a Halloween Costume Ball.
Make sure you bring your dancing shoes!
The night kicks off at 8pm and the music won’t stop until you get enough! The night will feature a variety of performances, prizes for best individual and group costumes, and a Chinese Auction.
The Evening is sponsored by Three Olives Vodka and will feature a variety of drink specials. The ticket price is $20 at the door. The proceeds from the Halloween Costume Ball will benefit South Jersey AIDS Alliance.
About South Jersey AIDS Alliance
South Jersey AIDS Alliance is a caring and compassionate human services organization dedicated to the fight against HIV/AIDS and offers services and support to people living with HIV/AIDS, their families and caregivers. South Jersey AIDS Alliance’s diverse and integrated programs and services span 1,300 square miles in three counties—Cumberland, Cape May and Atlantic—and serve about 2,500 people annually. While headquartered in Atlantic City, support centers are located in Atlantic City, Wildwood, Millville, Vineland and Bridgeton, NJ. Services also include prevention education for people at risk for HIV. The United Way of Atlantic County and Manna by the Shore are partner agencies. To learn more about its many programs and services, please go to its website or call 800-281-AIDS.
The Best of Gay New York
New Yorks Most Horryifying Haunted House – Boys Night October 14th
6 years of fear!
Touted as New Yorks Most HORRYIFYING Haunted House!
NIGHTMARE: Vampires,
created by Timothy Haskell
of I SCARE YOU.
Now in its sixth year and at a new location, NIGHTMARE’S fully immersive haunted house takes haunting to a whole new level.
Get ready to play your part in NIGHTMARE: VAMPIRES, a unique haunted attraction that unfolds as an original horror story!
Set in the Museum of Vampyric Artifacts (MoVa), the world’s first vampire museum features antiquities related to vampires from the headlines, in the media and from around the world. However, when MoVa and everyone in it are attacked by blood-lusting maniacs, you won’t just be viewing the exhibits on display…you’ll be running from them! Witness the birth of a new vampire legend!
The second event this year is Nightmare 666: A short, sharp and grotesque black magic show featuring a variety of sacrifices, some of them human. Will you be one?
NIGHTMARE has a brand-new location! We’re now at NOHO Event Center 623 Broadway at Houston Street (enter on Mercer Street).
NOW THRU NOVEMBER 7th.
Are you a screamer? Come to Boys Night at NIGHTMARE: VAMPIRES and find out.
Drag queens and boys galore. BOYS NIGHT, OCTOBER 14th See FACEBOOK for discount!
The Best of Gay New York
Saint at Large LOVEBALL and Stonewall Anniversary Concert
2 exciting events – one night!
Stonewall: 40th Anniversary Commemorative Concert & Benefit
Sat 27 Jun 2009
8pm
Presented By:
The Saint At Large
Run Time: 2 hours
OUTmusic in assocation with The Saint At Large present
STONEWALL: The 40th Anniv. Commemorative Concert & Benefit
Nokia Theatre – 1515 B’way
8 PM Sat., June 27th til 10 PM
Ticket provides access to LOVE BALL ACCESS BEFORE 9:00 PM ONLY
Gay Pride Weekend Saturday, June 27, 2009 10 pm until dawn Nokia Theatre Times Square
Music by: Alyson Calagna and Chris Cox
Opening DJ Vjuan Allure
Commentator: Jack Mizrahi
Lights by: Guy Smith TICKETS ONLINE NOW!
The Best of Gay New York!
Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival
On Easter Sunday, (April 12, 2009) you have the opportunity to see Easter bonnets to the New York City extreme as “paraders” wander along Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets.
The area around St. Patrick’s Cathedral is the ideal place to see the parade. The Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Unlike most New York City Parades, the Easter Parade is a far less organized event. From 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. the area along Fifth Avenue from 49th to 57th Streets is closed to vehicular traffic, and folks wander the street admiring various Easter Bonnets and Easter outfits.
Visitors in town during Easter will enjoy stopping by the area for a bit during the festivities, but seeing the various Easter bonnets and costumed pets is probably only worth a short visit.
This parade doesn’t have any floats or marching bands but it is a spectacle nonetheless. From around the world people come to New York City to participate.
Outfits range from elegant to outrageous. From outfits accented with live animals to civil war period costumes and the latest high fashions, there is a little bit of everything for the parade viewer.
The Best of Gay New York
New York Fashion Week in Bryant Park…Who Will Win Project Runway? And Who Will Be A Hot Tranny Mess?
The fashion industry’s finest, and the celebrities who love them, are descending on Bryant Park for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week all this week, from September 5-12, 2008.
On Thursday night the 11th, last years winner Christian Siriano will be showing his collection.
Then Friday morning, 3 Project Runway finalists from the current season will be showing their goods.
Who will be in?
and who will be a hot tranny mess??
We’ll have to wait a couple more weeks to find out!
All of the hottest designers are showing their Spring 2009 collections to celebs and fashionistas in the tents in Bryant Park on 6th Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets.
The Best of Gay New York and the New Gay Travel Guide
